Hey dudes. The fishing has been good and I'm happy to say there is promising news for the forthcoming tarpon season.
I've been fishing my traditional haunts and it's interesting to note that fishing definitely comes in waves. You catch fish in a spot, then you don't. You catch trout, and then you don't. You catch ladyfish after ladyfish after ladyfish then, well, you don’t… See?! Ebb and flow.Ying and yang. Low tide and high tide in the great cosmic fishing continuum.
So, I’ve been in an ongoing “high tide” of trout fishing. I’m trying to catch snook. Do the snook care? Nooooo. They know the season is coming to a close. Just hang tough for 5 more days and you’ll be spawning your eyes out without anyone cooking you with garlic and butter. Well… Some people will still cook you with garlic and butter. But, they’d have done that when you were only 15 inches long. So it hardly counts. You’re always in season in the trailer park…
Did I mention the bait? It’s everywhere. Big crazed balls of it hanging out all over the intercoastal. I can’t believe the life I’m seeing. The bait looks happy like there are not that many predators around. I’ve still caught some fish but it’s not quite to the frenzy of summer…yet.
That brings me back to the fishing which has been really good. I haven’t ventured out into the gulf but I hear they’re enjoying good fishing out there as well. I’m so lazy. I fish the back yard. Report follows.
THIS IS A HUGE BALL OF GLASS MINNOWS. THEY’RE EVERYWHERE. IT’S A GOOD TIME TO BE A TERN.
THIS IS AN INTERESTING PICTURE…LOOK AT THE BIG FISH SWIMMING THRU THE LITTLE FISH… BAIT IS OUT THERE IN SPADES.
THIS IS 2 DAYS OF BOBBER HARVESTING. THEY’RE EVERYWHERE TOO. I JUST PADDLE AROUND PICKING THEM UP.
THIS IS A HIPPY BAIT PICTURE. IN THE UPPER LEFT YOU CAN SEE THE SILOUETTE OF THE GLASS MINNOWS. IT’S A TRIPPY PHOTO.
THIS IS A TROUT MAULER LURE… WELL… MAULIN’ TROUT!
I THOUGHT I’D CAUGHT MY BIGGEST LIZARDFISH LAST WEEK BUT THIS MOTHER WAS AT LEAST 11 INCHES. HOW BIG DO THEY GET?!
THIS IS ANOTHER TROUT.
CAUGHT A FEW OF THESE UNDER SOME DOCKS TOO. THIS IS A NICE PICTURE OF A SNAPPER.
HEY BUDDY. SEEN ANY SNOOK?
APRIL 29 IS THE DATE OF THE OLC TOURNAMENT THAT FEATURES THIS VERY LURE! THEY WORK! AMAZING! MUCH BETTER THAN A SPOON…
SAW MY FIRST TARPON OF THE SEASON. THREW THIS TO HER AND GOT THIS BLURRY BIGFOOT PHOTO BACK.
THREW MY LURE INTO ABOUT 8 INCHES OF WATER NEXT TO A DOCK AND CAUGHT THIS! EXOTIC! I”LL SEE YOU IN 15 YEARS…
That’s it. Fishing has been steady. Trout maulers rock. Big tournament this weekend at Weedon Island. Wish me luck! Fin.
_________________
http://www.hornetbear.com
“Any man, in the right situation, is capable of murder. But not any man is capable of being a good camper. So, murder and camping are not as similar as you might think.”
- Jack Handy
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April 2006
APR 13 - TROUT EVERYWHERE - GALE FORCE WINDS
Here is the secret to catching fish. That’s right. The one absolute certain way to slay all forms of sea life and dominate your local fishing area. Do not tell anyone. Also, do not go publishing this on the internet on some kind of public forum either… I mean it.
1. Buy the Newspaper.
2. Read the outdoor section VERY CAREFULLY.
3. Absorb everything.
4. Reread mission critical sections if you have to.
5. Commit it all to memory as you will have to call upon it whilst out angling.
6. Now go out and do the exact opposite. That’s right. I said it. Opposite day, every day.
7. If it says no trout, be sure to go trout fishing
8. If it says fish in the morning, the night is the ticket.
9. Turn the fishing graph upside down and use it that way.
The newspaper is trying to trick you and you must fight the urge to believe it. That’s the same newspaper that said, “2004 worst hurricane year ever!” That is also the self same newspaper that said, “Real Estate Continues Mercurial Rise!” I mean, who would put all the best fishing spots in a public newspaper and sell it for 50 cents?! That’s almost as stupid as putting it on the internet for free! These articles are just meant to deceive the unwary angler. Consider the local “fishing report” debunked. I have spoken on the internet, under an alias, so you KNOW its true. Trust me. Report follows…
I read in the local fishwrap that the trout fishing had completely shut off and there wasn’t a trout ANYWHERE in Sarasota.
“Worst trout fishing in 20 years.” The headline read. “Guides unable to locate spotted sea trout anywhere.” it proclaimed.
As a conspiracy theorist, I knew what this meant. The newspaper was, once again, trying to hide something. I immediately suspected that the trout fishing was turning on in a big way.
I grabbed all my ultralight gear and headed for the closest grass flat, stat. I was rewarded with, of course, wide open trout fishing. They were everywhere. None were bigger than 22 inches but man they were thick. Every cast thick. I’m sick of catching sea trout thick. Somebody send a ladyfish over here thick. It was 6 year old nephew fishing easy.
RED TIDE KILLED EVERY TROUT IN THE WORLD EXCEPT THIS LUCKY SURVIVOR, APTLY NAMED “LUCKY THE TROUT”
I BET I CAUGHT 100 OF THESE IN 2.5 HOURS
IT WASN'T ALL TROUT FISHING THOUGH. EVEN THE WILY SAILCAT MADE A CAMEO...
I WENT THROUGH ALL MY WHITE LURES AND HAD TO SWITCH TO GREEN WHICH REALLY SLAYED THEM.
“IF YOU COULD READ, I’D SHOW YOU IN THE PAPER THAT YOURE REALLY NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE”
The WIND was cracking. Oh man. I am sick of all this wind. I’d go as far as to say that the wind blows. It was whipping across the bay making for quite a brisk drift. There were whitecaps and sea spray and generally sucking conditions. Good thing there were fish. I just went with it and would drift along various flats merrily catching sea trout. The worst part about the wind is if you can’t get a fish instantly unhooked you start to really lose position on the flats. I’m ready for the doldrums of summer. Bring it on.
LOOK! SPOTTED TARPON! THAT’S AMAZING!
TAKE A GANDER OF THIS FREAKING MONSTER. WHATS THE IGFA RECORD ON 30LB LEADER? I SHOULDA BROUGHT MY CERTIFIED SCALE…
Winslow Homer
YOO HOO? MR. HIPPY? YOU OUT THERE? TAKE A LOOK AT THESE TRIPPED OUT CLOUDS, DUDE.
UH OH. HIPPIES LOVE TRIPPED OUT CLOUDS BUT HATE MUSCLE BOATS… DILEMMA! DRUM IT OUT, BROTHER. DRUM IT OUT.
TRAGEDY! THIS JACK WAS HUGE. LIKE 35 INCHES. I WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM… PROBABLY GOT FOUL HOOKED. OR DECIDED THAT, IN THE LIGHT OF RECIENT WORLD EVENTS AND THE INSTABILITY OF HIS AGGRESSIVE REAL ESTATE SPECULATION, LIFE JUST WASN’T WORTH LIVING ANYMORE. HARD TO SAY
OHHHHHH! THAT’S A NICE LOOKING LIZARDFISH. I REALLY, REALLY NEEDED THAT CERITIFIED SCALE TODAY…
LOOK AT THE TAIL OF THIS LURE. SHEEPSHEAD? PINFISH? BRITISH PERSON?
YOU WANT TO WEAR A SLIVER COLORED WATCH WHEN CATCHING TROUT BECAUSE THEY MATCH REALLY NICELY.
HEY! WE’RE TROUT FISHING OUT HERE. SPLIT, PUNK.
MANY SPECIES WERE CAUGHT. ALL WERE RELEASED. THIS ONE IS PRETTY TASTY THOUGH. NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO WITH JUST 1 MANGROVE SNAPPER. TABLE FOR .3 PLEASE!
NOTICE THAT THIS GUY DIDN’T EVEN CARE IF THE LURE HAD A TAIL OR NOT…
Man! The fishing was fun. Nothing really phenomenal in terms of fish but it was fun and steady fishing. What’s exciting about fishing is you just never know what you’re going to see next. That’s the cool part. It’s the thrill of the unknown. The fact that the big one might be just around the corner… Fin.
_________________
http://www.hornetbear.com
“I brought you a tuna sandwich. They say it's brain food. I guess because there's so much dolphin in it, and you know how smart they are.”
- Marge Simpson
APR 3 – SNOOKS – JACKS – LADYFISH – LEEZARDFEESH – TROUTS
You really can’t complain about the weather right now. It just doesn’t get much more perfect that this. Light winds. Beautiful cloudless days with crystal clear azure water. Basically picture perfect Florida weather. I, however, plan to complain about the fishing. It’s thin! I haven’t gotten skunked lately but it’s been darn close. As in “oh thank you god it’s a lizardfish” close. As in, “Whew, I caught this one eyed ladyfish” close. Why, a person might start fishing with bait it’s been so tough out there! Well. It’s not that bad. But…man… it’s been tough going. I did manage to angle some fish up from the depths. And I took some pictures to prove it. These pictures span a few days…Report follows…
THERE IS MY NEW STAKEOUT POLE WHICH I WON IN THE FALL FS TOURNAMENT! THAT IS ONE NICE LOOKING STAKEOUT POKE. MUCH BETTER THAN THE BROKEN DOWEL I WAS USING. THANKS CAPT. DICK.
THERE’S A NICE LITTLE FLATS BOAT CRUISING THE INTERCOSTAL. I BET GIRLS HAVE GONE WILD ON THAT BAD BOY.
SMALL SNOOK, WELCOME ABOARD! NOW, HOLD STILL AND…SMILE!
THIS TROUT REPRESENTS 1000 CASTS WITHOUT A NIBBLE. I GUESS THAT’S A MILITROUT IF YOU’RE USING THE METRIC SYSTEM…
IT WASN’T ALL BAD ABOARD THE HMS HORNETBEAR. THIS WAS A PRETTY NICE SNOOK, REALLY.
I CAUGHT THIS FREAKY LOOKING ONE EYED LADYFISH. I HOOKED HER IN THE LIP, TOO. I SAID TO THE FISH, “LUCKY FOR YOU, MODERN CATARACT SURGERY ALLOWS AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST TO REPLACE YOUR CLOUDY LENS WITH AN ARTIFICIAL LENS, THUS REGAINING VISION IN THE RIGHT EYE. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS SAVE UP ABOUT 6500 DOLLARS OR GET DECENT LADYFISH HEALTH INSURANCE. I RECOMMEND A PPO PLAN IF YOUR WORKPLACE OFFERS IT.”
HERE’S A PRETTY STRONG ARGUMENT FOR SPENDING MORE THAN 14 DOLLARS ON FISHING RODS. I SWEAR THIS ONE CORRODED AND BROKE WHEN IT WAS EXPOSED TO THE NON AIR CONDITIONED ATMOSPHERE RIGHT OUTSIDE WAL-MART. IT’S A BERKELEY. BOOOOOO.
HERES A SHEEPSHEAD CARCASS THAT HAS BEEN KICKING IT UNDER MY DOCK FOR DAYS… I THOUGHT THE SHARKS WERE GOING TO EAT HIM?! I GUESS THEY WERE STUFFING THEMSELVES ON ALL THOSE CRYPTIC MORTALITY SNOOK…THAT I NEVER SEE… ANYWHERE…EVER…
HIPPIES REJOICE. IT’S A PRETTY FLOWER. UNFORTUNATELY, IT HAS NO FRAGRANCE. SO YOU’RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO REEK OF BODY ODOR UNTIL YOU BATHE. THIS FLOWER CAN’T HELP YOU. SORRY.
ORNITHOLOGICAL FACT: THE COMMON NAME FOR THIS BIRD IS “BLUE-HEADED AFRICAN MONKEY CHICKEN.” REMEMBER THIS SO YOU CAN IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS WHEN YOU SEE ONE.
YOU GOTTA ADMIT THE COMMON LIZARDFISH IS A GUTSY LITTLE DUDE. THIS IS LIKE YOU OR I TRYING TO EAT A GERMAN SHEPARD WHOLE.
GOOD OLD RED HEAD AND WHITE BODY. IT’S A TIMELESS FISHING CLASSIC. LIKE HOOKING YOUR BUDDY WHEN YOURE DRUNK OR CATCHING A SNEAKER IN A CANAL.
MAN! CAN THOSE LADYFISH JUMP!
YOU’VE SEEN LOTS OF PICTURES OF HUGE SNOOK LATELY. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE PICTURES.
OH! SWEET! CATFISH! DOES THE FUN EVER START?
THIS JACK IS THINKING, “I REALLY, REALLY HATE THIS GUY.”
HERES A CLOSEUP OF THE WORMS THAT LIVE IN THE TAIL OF THE COMMON JACK AND MAKE THEM NOT SO DESIREABLE TO EAT…
AND YOU THOUGHT THE OTHER SNOOK WAS SMALL! GOOD THING THIS CAMERA HAS AN OPTICAL ZOOM.
HERE IS A REALLY BEAUTIFUL LIZARDFISH. MARK SOSIN, LETS SEE YOU BOAT ONE OF THESE BAD BOYS. THOSE TEETH ARE SHARP! I MIGHT GO AHEAD AND GET THIS ONE MOUNTED…
TROUT, YOU LOOK KINDA LIKE A COORS LITE. CONICIDENCE? I THINK NOT.
I JUST CAN’T RESIST A LADYFISH SHOT. I’M WEAK. I LOVE EM’
So. That’s the report! It’s been fun but I sure haven’t seen the giant trophy fish that I pretty much expect to see every time I go fishing. Tomorrow is another day.
_________________
http://www.hornetbear.com
“I brought you a tuna sandwich. They say it's brain food. I guess because there's so much dolphin in it, and you know how smart they are.”
- Marge Simpson
